Lisa Nandy responds to Rishi Sunak admitting he ditched housing targets because Tory members don't like them

Thursday, 13 April 2023 15:00

Lisa Nandy MP, Labour’s Shadow Levelling Up & Housing Secretary, responding to Rishi Sunak admitting he ditched housing targets because Conservative members didn’t like them, said: “It is utterly shameful that the Prime Minister admits he ditched housing targets because he’s too weak to stand up to Tory members. “That decision has pushed housebuilding off a cliff and exacerbated a housing crisis that was already causing misery for millions of families...Request free trial

Lisa Nandy MP, Labour’s Shadow Levelling Up & Housing Secretary, responding to Rishi Sunak admitting he ditched housing targets because Conservative members didn’t like them, said:

“It is utterly shameful that the Prime Minister admits he ditched housing targets because he’s too weak to stand up to Tory members.

“That decision has pushed housebuilding off a cliff and exacerbated a housing crisis that was already causing misery for millions of families and young people, but Rishi Sunak clearly thinks that’s all ok because a few thousand Tory members are happy. We need a Prime Minister that puts our country before his party.

“Labour will build more homes, including affordable and social homes, and support first-time buyers to realise their dream of homeownership with a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme and by giving them first dibs on new homes in their area."

Ends

Notes:

In an interview today, Rishi Sunak told Conservative Home:

“I spent a lot of the time over the summer when I was talking to so many of our members, so many of our councillors, about our planning system and their views on it. What I heard, consistently, particularly from our councillors and our members, was what they didn’t want was a nationally-imposed, top down set of targets imposed telling them what to do.”

From 10 mins, 40 sec: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vOCaOpgc0I

As a result of Rishi Sunak’s decision to cave to his backbenchers on housing targets, planning applications have fallen to a record low:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/apr/01/planning-applications-in-england-fall-to-record-low-in-housing-blow

The decision was described as a “win for NIMBYs”:https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cb2c6e10-d574-11ed-a308-364551a39b53?shareToken=66464a3638a23bf3740cd2613f8cbfd8

End of house building targets will deal £17bn blow to economy, OBR warned:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/10/22/end-house-building-targets-will-deal-17bn-blow-economy-obr-warned/